WASHINGTON, DC/6/15/06The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission ( www.cpsc.gov.) in cooperation with Simon & Schuster, has announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Curious Buddies Children’s Books

Units: About 9,000

Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Inc., of New York, N.Y.

Hazard: The felt ears and limbs on the pop-up characters can detach or come apart when pulled, which may pose a choking hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: Simon & Schuster has received reports of two 6-month-old infants who detached felt from the pop-up parts of the book. One child was able to mouth the torn material. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves Curious Buddies cloth books titled “Hello, Curious Buddies!” Pictured on the cover of the books are the Curious Buddies’ characters. Inside the book are two plush pop-up toy characters.

Sold at: Bookstores, discount department stores and other retailers nationwide from October 2005 through May 2006 for about $10.

Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers should immediately clip off the felt ears and limbs of the pop-up characters and place them out of a child’s reach. Simon and Schuster will provide consumers with information on how to return the felt pieces or the copyright tag from the book to receive a free replacement book.

Consumer Contact: For more information, call Simon & Schuster at (800) 732-9531 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the company’s Web site at www.simonsays.com.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270 or visit CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html . Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov.